21 Things to Do, November 22-28

Every Tuesday night, the Lemmon Avenue location of Buzzbrews hosts a unique open mic experience with fewer predictably whiny singer/songwriters and more surprisingly talented opera singers, cellists and pianists. You can join the good folks from Open Classical for an open mic night specifically catered to those who love to play (or love to hear) classical music. You’ll see an eclectic range of instruments, talent levels and musical styles — from a riveting string quartet playing Schubert to a tap dancer who improvises her movements to the accompaniment of a Mozart sonata. Sign up to perform on the event’s Facebook page, or sit back and enjoy the show with some coffee or a beer. Buzzbrew's, 4334 Lemmon Ave., 8 p.m., free, Facebook.com. — Katie Womack

Abraham Zapruder was the only person to capture video footage of the JFK assassination, and once it was enhanced the film served as key support for conspiracy theories that insisted there was a second shooter on the Grassy Knoll. Zapruder’s 26-second film, which came to be known simply as the “Zapruder Film,” changed his family forever, and no one can attest to this better than his granddaughter, Alexandra Zapruder, who will do just that at the Sixth Floor Museum at 7 p.m. Tuesday, the anniversary of the assassination. Alexandra Zapruder’s talk is in support of her recently released book, Twenty-Six Seconds: A Personal History of the Zapruder Film. Sixth Floor Museum, 411 Elm St., 7 p.m., $15, jfk.org. — Caroline North

One of Dallas’ premier local organizers once again curates some of the best talent DFW has to offer for a show in which you also get to slime the King himself with gravy. Thanksgiving could definitely benefit from some fresh traditions that don't involve pardoning a turkey. In that spirit, all ticket sales will be donated to North Texas Food Bank. You can enjoy the Smothered in Gravy rock show with a clear conscious, and bask in the glory of Rei Clone, Troller, Psychic Killers, Drab Majesty, Mink Coats, and of course, Dead Mockingbirds. The show will be about as weird as you'd expect, but that is in no way a bad thing. If nothing else, pay the 5 bucks to food some people and smother the camel king in gravy. No word on if it's white or brown. RBC, 2617 Commerce St., 7 p.m., $10, prekindle.com. — Taylor Frantum

Wed 11/23

It’s easy to slip into resting Grinch face, considering the beating of an election we just went through and the onslaught of exhortations to switch into holiday mode. It might feel like a tough transition, but there’s still joy to be uncovered out there — and the Dallas Theater Center’s production of A Christmas Carol just might help you locate it. Their musical adaptation of the timeless Dickens tale speaks to the potential for rebirth and redemption in all of us, a message we could probably all use right about now, and it includes more than a few surprises in the reimagined classic. And luckily, it’ll be a happy constant for the next month. Turn that Grinchy grimace upside down starting with a pay-what-you-can performance Wednesday, Nov. 23. The show runs until Dec. 28. Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, 2400 Flora St., 7:30 p.m., $20 and up, attpac.org. — Jennifer Davis- Lamm Thu 11/24

Sure, anyone can download from iTunes or queue up on Netflix any number of movies from home. But on a holiday known for bringing together incompatible family members, escaping into the darkness of a theater for some seriously heart-warming movie magic, may be just what folks need on the Day of Thanks. Planes, Trains and Automobiles, starring the larger-than-life John Candy and the banjo-loving Steve Martin, is the cure for anyone dealing with family squabbles at the dinner table. Follow two unlikely travel companions—a curmudgeonly businessman and an upbeat curtain ring salesman—as they learn to get along and fight to get home to their families for Thanksgiving after a series of unfortunate events. It’s a movie that will bring about laughter as well as a few tears. Plus, it’s totally OK to tell someone to shut the hell up when they start talking. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema - Cedars, 4:45 p.m. or Alamo Drafthouse - Richardson, 1:45 p.m., $7.58, drafthouse.com. — Diamond Victoria

No one likes to be that person who's dieting on Thanksgiving. On the scale of uncoolness, it's one step beyond ordering a salad on a first date. But we all know that despite the efforts of Carl's Jr. to convince us otherwise, a visible waistline does in fact come at a price. If you choose to participate in the Turkey Trot at 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, however, that price won't have to be missing out on a plateful of stuffing. It will just be a brisk jog in the name of a good cause. Show you're thankful for your legs by using them during this annual tradition which starts off in Frisco Square. There are three routes of varying lengths (one mile, 5K and 10K) and it's $20-$47.50 to register at northtexasturkeytrot.com. Proceeds benefit the Miracle League of Frisco, which offers opportunities for children with special needs to play sports. Frisco Square, 8874 Coleman Blvd., 8 a.m., $20-$47.50, northtexasturkeytrot.comtickets.texasballettheater.org. — CN

Before you sit down to Thanksgiving supper, you could have been the person who made it possible for homebound seniors to receive a hot, celebratory meal. VNA Texas’ Meals on Wheels needs additional volunteers to deliver meals on Thanksgiving (and we’re betting other holidays where travel is common). Email volunteer@vnatexas to sign up. You’ll not only deliver the traditional gobble-gobble, but you’ll be providing a safety check and a full dose of holiday cheer. Routes and times to be assigned after sign-up, free, facebook.com orvnatexas.org. —Merritt Martin

After the tryptophan has worn off, and you've had your fourth political argument with your uncle, it'll be time to get out of the house and shake off the ugh. It's almost too obvious the best way to do this would be at the Rainbow Lounge of Fort Worth with some kick-ass divas direct from RuPaul's Drag Race. Kennedy (Davenport) and Katya (Zamolodchikova) offer up a divine Thanksgiving Holiday Show, along with Bianca Davenport Starr and Silkie O'Hara Munro. Cover at the door for just $10, but reservations are encouraged. $100 table reservations are on the stage. Rainbow Lounge of Fort Worth, 651 S. Jennings Ave. in Fort Worth, 10 p.m., $10, 817-744-7723 (Cissy, reservations), Facebook.com. — MM

Fri 11/25

A sugar plum fairy, a sword-swinging mouse and the only kid ever in the world who was happy to get a nutcracker as a Christmas gift: The magic of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker returns to the Winspear Opera House and Bass Performance Hall for the holiday season. Choreographed by Ben Stevenson, The Texas Ballet Theatre's rendition involves loads of dry ice, a small city's worth of lighting and an army of stagehands to let the story of Clara and her visit The Kingdom of Sweets take flight. The ballet opens at 8 p.m. Friday at the Winspear, 2403 Flora St, and runs Friday-Sunday until December 4 before moving to Bass Performance Hall, 525 Commerce St, in Fort Worth , December 9. Dallas show times are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at the Winspear. Winspear Opera House, 2404 Flora St., 8 p.m., $20-$120, tickets.texasballettheater.org. — Patrick Williams

America can't have enough second lines and they are going to come in handy for the next four years when President Donald J. Trump (dry heave) will start giving everyone excuses to run out of their homes screaming at the top of their lungs to release all that negative energy. Secondly, it just makes a neighborhood seem cheery and brighter compared to the usual things you see on them like potholes and pickups with Truck Nuts. Most importantly, it can make even the most coldhearted soul crack a smile. There are only a select number of storied jazz groups who can teach us how to start a spontaneous jazz celebration and one of New Orleans’ most famous is coming to the Granada Theater. The Rebirth Brass Band started in 1983 giving the already happy crowds of the historic French Quarter one more reason to dance in the streets. Now that they’ve released 13 albums of pure New Orleans party music and won a Grammy Award for 2011 album “Rebirth of New Orleans,” they’ve taken their infectious sound to the rest of America’s streets including the one that sits in front of the Granada Theater for a 7 p.m. show on Saturday, Nov. 14 with an opening performance by Naughty Professor. Only those aged 14 and older will be admitted. Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., 7 p.m., $17-$32, granadatheater.com. — Danny Gallagher

Of all the hokey holiday traditions the world of commerce wants to throw at you each year, ice skating is the one that we’ll stand solidly behind. Nothing turns adults into giggling, trepidatious kids like strapping on a pair of skates and trying not to bust ass. You leave exhilarated, exhausted and a little sore—but you’ve given your kids the gift of watching their parents be totally awkward and unsteady, and to them, that’s a total Christmas miracle. And, if you get punctuate your visit with the “Skating With the Stars” event at the Galleria, you’ll also be able to show the kids how it’s really done: at noon on Friday, November 25 and 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 26, champion ice skating duo Caydee Denney and John Coughlin take the ice for a spectacular performance leading up to the lighting of the giant 95-foot Christmas tree in the center of the rink. The production features stone-cold athletics, plus flourishes from a skating Santa and local kids who skate better at 7 than you ever will. Galleria, 13350 Dallas Parkway, noon, free, galleriadallas.com. — JDL

Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini were — and still are — quite possibly the most beloved Italian composers. There’s Verdi’s Aida and Il Trovatore and Puccini’s Turandot, featuring "Nessun Dorma," often revered as the best (and most well-known) tenor aria in opera. The Dallas Symphony brings the two Italian greats together with tenor Carl Tanner for three performances of “Verdi and Puccini.” Enjoy the drama, and finally hear “Nessun Dorma” played again without any affiliation to the Trump campaign. Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St., 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, $30-$139, mydso.com. — MM

Beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, Theatre Three in the Quadrangle is putting on a one-man performance of A Christmas Carol. We know what you're thinking: "What? But I won't get to see all of the different ghosts, or Bob Cratchit lift up his son, Tiny Tim?" To which we say, come on, haven't you seen all of that a thousand times before? Place faith in your memory and B.J. Cleveland's acting skills this holiday season and give A Christmas Carol: The Radio Show a shot. Cleveland will play a radio station manager who is forced to perform all 21 roles in the Christmas classic when the station gets snowed in. Additional performances are at 8 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Theatre Three, 2800 Routh St., 8 p.m., $34-$40, theatre3dallas.com. — CN

Sat 11/26

A New York Times story about comedian Tig Notaro's 2015 HBO special described her as a purveyor of a "new phenomenon in entertainment: the unfunny joke ... Comedy is becoming an occasion to abandon humor for the exposure of unsoftened truth." In Notaro's case, the unsoftened truth was that she had breast cancer, a fact she revealed in a stand-up performance that won her acclaim. (Notaro, who underwent a double mastectomy, would later perform one show topless.) If that sounds a little off-putting, especially now as we're swimming in a stew of unfunny comedy thanks to the election, know this: Notaro is hilarious. Awkward and wry, she had mastered a dry, deadpan delivery that's at once highly personal and absurd. Texas Theatre, 213 W. Jefferson Blvd., 8 p.m., $35, ticketfly.com. — PW

If you missed Kanye West’s Saint Pablo tour on the first go-round in September, thank your lucky stars the polarizing, creative-genius of an artist is giving you a second chance to witness the spectacle. As of now, it’s impossible to know if this second run will be a complete reproduction of the first edition but if it is, West’s stage setup will be worth the price of admission alone. Floating above his loyal, ravenous fans West will be performing cuts from his latest hit album, The Life of Pablo atop a roaming platform suspended in the middle of the arena, completely transforming the American Airlines Center. The Saint Pablo tour is a wholly unique experience. West has proven himself to be an artist who continuously operates outside the norm and this show exemplifies that. Also, there’s a good chance West will go on one of his world-famous rants, which is also always entertaining. American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave., 9 p.m., $29.50-$130.50, ticketmaster.com. — Mikel Galicia

Sun 11/27

Maynard James Keenan is not exactly known for his outward persona. In fact, the Tool frontman is pretty protective of his personal life, some would even argue more than most in the industry. This is why the release of his authorized biography, A Perfect Union of Contrary Things, a very candid look into the elusive Maynard’s life, is likely a shock to long time fans. But he’ll be opening up the floor for questions Sunday at 8 p.m. at Texas Theatre. The event includes a slideshow of never-before-seen photos and all tickets include a copy of A Perfect Union of Contrary Things and a CD from Puscifer, another of Maynard’s projects. Texas Theatre, 213 W. Jefferson Blvd., 8 p.m., $65 - $213, ticketfly.com. — DV

Christmas may be a time to celebrate joy, generosity and the gift of peace on Earth but the music can make you wish you could take a baseball bat to a snowman without the neighbors thinking you might be on a watchlist. There’s nothing wrong with Christmas carols. They can offer calm, mellowed tones that make us reflect on the beauty around us that we take for granted and the inherent good nature of mankind. However, hearing them over and over even after Christmas Day has past can really grate against your last good nerve. Instead of chasing carolers off your lawn with a weed whacker and having to explain to the cops that you thought they were lawn decorations that had come to life, take in some Christmas that has more swing like contemporary jazz guitarist Peter White’s upcoming concert at the Majestic Theater. “A Peter White Christmas” featuring trumpet player Rick Braun and saxophonist Euge Groove will perform a number of holiday classics in their unmistakable sound Sunday, November 27 at the Majestic Theatre in Dallas. Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St., 6 p.m., $99.50, ticketmaster.com. — DG

Is this Fall? Are we there yet? If there’s a bonus to this non-committal weather we’ve had, it’s more time to enjoy our outdoor market time. We’ve got until December 11 to pack it all in both at Good Local Markets’ Lakeside Market, 9150 Garland Road, on Saturdays and now at Vickery Meadow Market just outside of Half Price Books, 5803 E. Northwest Hwy., on Sundays. Vickery opens at 10 a.m. and features grower and artisan booths. Check out Van Cleave Dry Goods, The Shabby Sheep, Chandler Family Farm, Empire Baking Co., Kitchen Pride Mushroom Farm, Texas Honeybee Guild and more. Pro tip: Bring more shopping bags than you think you’ll need. Good Local Markets offer the Lone Star food stamp program. Save the date for December 17 for the Good Local Flea, an indoor crafts market inside Half Price Books. Vickery Meadow Market, 5803 E. Northwest Hwy., 10 a.m., free, goodlocalmarket.org. — MM

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People have always had romantic notions about Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, seeing them as populist heroes and/or star-crossed lovers. The reality: They were cold-blooded killers who went on a brutal, unforgiveable crime rampage and somehow ended up as folk heroes. Author Jeff P. Jones is keenly aware that his subjects are monsters in Love Give Us One Death: Bonnie and Clyde in the Last Days, but his historical fiction puts them in a context of Depression-era poverty and despair, portrayed in a narrative that ranges from poetic to plainly historical. It’s a unique perspective on these pop-culture stalwarts—and the author will be available to discuss his distinctive take on the famous pair following a reading. Half Price Books, 5803 E. Northwest Hwy., 1 p.m., free, hpb.com/001. — JDL

Mon 11/28

The Monday after Thanksgiving always seems like the time when the holidays transition from "Yay, turkey and leisurely movies and family time" into full-on "This is what we've been training for" mode. Our fur babies generally want nothing to do with this phase of the season, with the exception of stray turkey, the shiniest bauble on the tree, and treats from Santa...which they will get if you take them to Santa Paws. This Monday through December 2, The Shops at Willow Bend offer a pet friendly man-in-red-suit in the Grand Court on the Lower Level. Santa in the Ice Palace will pose for photos with pets–who must be up to date on shots and on a leash or in a lightweight carrier. And, yes, all pets get a special treat. Do not enter through the food court. The Shops at Willow Bend, 6121 W. Park Blvd., 10 a.m., shopwillowbend.com. — MM

The 2016 Summer Olympics providing a never-ending stream of depressing stories for an event that’s supposed to celebrate the triumph and adversity of the human spirit. It turned consuming news about the Summer Olympics into its own marathon event worthy of a medal to anyone who could make it to the finish line. There were endless tales of corruption and incompetence about Rio de Janeiro’s handling of the games even before the opening ceremonies. USA swimmer Ryan Lochte earned a gold in being a lying frat douchebag. At one point, the water in the swimming pool turned a strange green hue that was only uplifting if you imagined divers were jumping into a vat of lime green Jell-O. Jamaican sprinter and Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt gave the world one of its few reasons to cheer while watching the 2016 Summer Olympics. The Kingston native not only racked up three more gold medals at the 2016 games to bring his lifetime total to nine but it also marked an end to one of the most stellar careers in the history of the Games. The world didn’t even mind when he called himself “the Greatest” after winning his ninth gold and completing the Games’ first “triple-triple” gold medal sweep of the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay in the last three Olympic games. The documentary I Am Bolt took a long look in the grueling preparation and determination needed to become “the greatest” and you’ll get a chance to see it on the big screen for a special, one-night-only screening. The Magnolia, 3699 McKinney Ave., 7 p.m., $15, landmarktheaters.com. — DGT